Chapter 2- Tough Love
We didn’t drain her body entirely, Dalton made a fuss when she had lost a lot of blood so it ended far too soon for me. I don’t think there would ever be enough blood to fully satisfy me anyways. The girl was passed out as I slung her limp body off the bed rolling her carelessly caused a big thud when she hit the floor. She didn’t wake up, she’d likely sleep for hours before waking up and even then I’d bet she’d be pretty sketchy from blood loss, I was sure Dalton would get rid of her before daylight.
Dalton sat on the bed and was about to wipe off the blood that had dripped onto his chin when I leaned over and traced my tongue over the blood. Dalton almost seemed a little frozen in surprise but when my lips made their way to his he didn’t push me away or even stop kissing me. At first it wasn’t sexual, it was only blood lust- if anything it was more animal instinct that just sort of took over. It wasn’t until Dalton pulled me onto his lap and pulled my chest against his that things quickly became heated. Our kisses were sloppy as our hands roamed each other’s bodies in almost a desperate sort of way. I hadn’t been with anyone but Ambrose and to believe he wouldn’t be with anyone since me -especially since he supposedly loved me, well it made me beyond crude and furious.
Dalton....poor Dalton deserved better than this. If he stopped and asked me to stop then I would but only for him. I didn’t care and maybe I’d care when I got my soul back- but then maybe I wouldn’t. It was all a chance in the gambling world and right now I liked my odds.
Dalton ripped my shirt off before tossing it aside and flipped me over onto the bed before pinning me down with a force I haven’t seen from him before. I had no idea how rough he could be, but somehow it made me enjoy this more. I began to unbutton his pants When Dalton pulled back slightly so he was able to talk.
“Us having sex is a terrible idea.” Dalton almost seemed torn.
A crooked smile played on my face. “ I know, all the more reason to do it. Trust me, Ambrose is worried about me because he cares about my well being, that’s all. He doesn’t love me - not anymore.”
I masked what I really felt but I didn’t think even Dalton would buy that but it was enough to feed his guilty conscience. I went to slide his pants off when a buzzing sound had gone off in his back pocket, I pulled out another cell phone and almost laughed. He really did have other phones, typical, always prepared Dalton. I handed it to him and he sighed heavily when he read the caller display.
“Dammit.” Dalton cursed before flipping the phone open.
“Yes.” Dalton seemed consumed with guilt, he went to sit up and I followed him so I could hear their conversation.
“Where is she?” Ambrose still seemed worried but clearly showing his worry in ways that I clearly didn’t approve of.
“I’m right here.” I muttered before pulling the phone out of Dalton’s hand and putting it to my ear.
“What do you want?” I was more annoyed than anything else. I didn’t need to talk to Ambrose because there was nothing he could tell me that I wouldn’t know- or make a difference.
“Well seeing as we haven’t talked in weeks, a hello would be nice.” Ambrose’s less than humorous attitude made me feel a little better knowing that I at least got under his skin.
“Hello. Goodbye now.” I went to flip that phone shut -with more ease this time, but Ambrose almost shouted.
“Hang on a damn second Trinity.” Wow the phone wasn’t close to my ear and I was sure that even Dalton had heard because he began to sit up and fix his pants.
“Fine.” I sighed into the phone while signalling Dalton to stop.
I pulled the phone away briefly. “ Don’t even think about putting your pants back on.”
Dalton gave me a scornful look before I heard Ambrose on the phone.
“What? What are you doing?”
I let out a sadistic laugh. “ Maybe you’re uncle, or just some hooker with a fruity name- maybe even Dalton.”
“Is that what this is about?” Ambrose seemed a little relieved.
“Candy was dinner, Trinity- you know I don’t sleep with my food, it’s distasteful.”
This caused me to laugh mockingly. “ You’re distasteful.”
Ambrose went quiet for a second and it made me wonder if he had hung up, it wasn’t until I heard his tone soften when he spoke. “ Listen, I don’t know how much time I have- so just listen. You need to stick with Dalton and Balthazar wherever they are, alright? I wish I could be there with you to help you go through all of this and I don’t care what you think that I think of you. You know deep down that I love you- no matter what. That’s all I’ve wanted to tell you but you’ve chosen not to listen to me.”
I almost didn’t even know what to say, I felt something tug inside of me but it couldn’t possibly be emotions. “ I’m sorry Ambrose. I know-.”
I had to pause and try to find a way to tell him that I loved him too, that’s when I heard his mutter curses before his end hung up.
“Ambrose?- AMBROSE.” I shouted into the phone wondering if his phone had just died or if wherever he was at, had bad phone reception. There was something about the way he said he didn’t have much time that made me think there was something else going on entirely.
“Dalton.” I snapped as I turned around to see him standing up and fixing his clothing.
“I was just bringing the girl to the main lobby, I’ll be back.” Dalton shook his head as he hauled Candy over his shoulder, now that she was fully clothed.
He looked up at me wondering if that was what I was about to yell at him about, instead a look of pure worry filled my face.
“What’s going on with Ambrose? I know you know because he tells you everything. What don’t I know?” I put my hand on Dalton’s shoulder, keeping him in place.
“No.” Dalton added firmly before placing the girl on the nearby sofa before walking back to me.
“What do you mean no?” I growled before even realizing I had shoved him fiercely into the wall causing a loud thud as a crack began to form in the wall behind him.
Manu was awoken and rushed out to find a bloodied woman laying on the ground, while Dalton and I were having a little less than friendly conversation.
Manu hesitated for a second and then reached down into his duffel bag and grabbed a cross bow and aimed it at Dalton.
“You killer, you don’t hurt white girl.”
It was kind of funny to see Manu sticking up for me- or white girl. I smirked while Dalton rose his hands in the air, looking strangely at him.
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m the one who seems to be pinned against a wall. Nice effort though, An A for effort.” Dalton laughed,taking all of this as some sort of joke. What he failed to realize that when it came to Ambrose’s life, I took that seriously.
I backed away from Dalton and grabbed the crossbow from Manu and pointed it squarely at Dalton’s chest.
“Why won’t you tell me?” I furred my brows together,staring at Dalton intently.
“He made me swear not to.” Dalton tried to move out of the way, this made me unbelievably furious. Since when was Dalton’s loyalties to Ambrose more important than to me, I thought we were friends.
I shot the crossbow aiming for his left arm and successfully hit my target, causing Dalton to flinch in pain.
“Alright. There was no need to shoot me. You bloody lunatic.” Dalton pulled the arrow out of his arm with so much ease, I swear he made it seem completely painless.
I shrugged. “ Love makes people crazy.” The expression on my face was light and playful but some sadistic part of me actually enjoyed striking him, it was like practise since I haven’t the chance to wield weapons in what felt like forever.
“The Alliance is falling apart. A few of the members think that having Ambrose keeping things orderly is an insult to them. Not just that, but they’re looking for you. It’s complete chaos with only two Elders left. Fatima Lafleur and the other opposing Elder were slaughtered leaving the two Elders siding against their old laws.Their orders are to kill you on contact.”
Dalton seemed unsure as he stopped, I was caught completely off-guard just swallowed up by shock and devastation. Everything I lived and fought for- hell everything I’ve become just to protect what I believed in and it was a catastrophe. How could the Alliance do that after everything I’ve done for them.
“Then where’s Ambrose if he’s not in charge anymore?” I asked wondering just how crazy things had gotten.
“ There are order to kill him on contact too, after he escaped the torture chamber- thanks to yours truly, he’s been following leads to track down Alistair’s brother Warden who could easily trump any Elder’s authority.The Alliance considers Ambrose a threat,the moment he wouldn’t give up where you were, they tortured him so badly that his body almost didn’t regenerate.” Dalton went to touch me but I pulled away.
All this time I thought he didn’t even care enough about me to not have sex with other people when he’s endured more hell because of me. Now thinking about what Ambrose had said on the phone had me more worried than ever before. I began pacing around the room ,staring at the ground deep in thought.
“If they want me that bad, then let them have me.” I smirked as I headed to grab my bag, it wasn’t as though any of them could kill me anyways. Technically speaking I was as dead or undead as it gets.
Dalton looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Oh well that will solve all of our problems, and then what? Prance around so hundreds if not thousands of trained hunters could attack you?”
I made a face, why did Dalton have to be so negative all the time? He was seriously going to put me out of a job.
“No you moron, I’ll distract them long enough so you can get Ambrose free and then we’ll figure out a better game plan from there.” I slung my duffel bag over my shoulder.
“You most certainly will not.” Balthazar looked exhausted and covered in filth as he strutted in completely unnoticed.
“They have him - or at least they’re close. I can’t just let them torture him or actually kill him this time.”
Balthazar grinned. “ You’re doing a pretty good job at keeping a hold of that soul of yours.”
Dalton looked between the two of us as if to try and read our expressions.
“So it isn’t gone?” Dalton looked at me wondering why it was I had shot him if I wasn’t as evil as I was potraying myself to be. This almost made me laugh, I guess it hadn’t occurred to him that maybe I just enjoyed the game a little. Becoming restless was an awful thing for a hunter.
“I guess not entirely. Balthazar has some cute little theory behind this.” I flung the duffel bag aside, waiting to hear what kind of plan Balthazar seemed to think was better suited for our situation.
Dalton glanced towards Balthazar who shrugged. “ My ‘cute little theory’ as Trinity puts it is that since she’s Nephilim that her body’s trying to heal herself. Almost like a regenerative property trying to restore her soul for her. This would explain her not entirely evil, soulless being.” Balthazar grinned realizing that he -in a way, just payed me a compliment.
“Alright, so if I’m not going to rescue Ambrose- what am I doing?”
Balthazar gave me a small grin. “I’m sending you off with Dalton and Manu to Tajio Cave. That’s where Quanta’s been located, he already agreed to help you. I’ll go fetch your lover and meet you in Taijo until you are fixed. Then we’ll track down Alistair’s brother and he’ll know what to do.”
I scrunched my nose in disapproval. “ First off, a cave? Really? How barbaric is that?”
Balthazar opened his lips to answer and I spoke before he could. “It was a retorical question. Second- fixed? I wasn’t aware I was broken. Lastly- what makes you so sure that Alistair’s brother will know what to do?”
“You never told her?” Dalton looked over at Balthazar, shaking his head unimpressed.
“Told me what?” I scornfully glared at Balthazar.
“Warden is Alistair’s twin brother. Identical in every aspect, the head position among the Elders was given to Alistair and he warranted to Warden to be his right hand man but Warden was furious that they chose Alistair over him, so he simply left. Undetectable until now.”
Balthazar seemed annoyed by all this chatting, it still hadn’t entirely sunk in. Alistair had an identical twin brother, which was so unusual. For Nephilims to have a twin was almost unheard of -with Tristan and myself as the exception because our birth was tampered with. Uriel had given me that much insight. As for Alistair’s brother.... the idea of someone sounding, looking and acting like him almost made me a bit scared. A silly feeling really, I couldn’t bare to see his face and not have it be him. Either way I suppose this was a very good thing if we could convince him to come back with us. If he was anything like Alistair he’d do the right thing by us.
“Fine, but Balthazar remember this- if Ambrose is harmed in any way or dead-” I paused to focus solely on his eyes, as they locked my voice emanated the seriousness and deadliness that I possessed.
“I will kill you myself.”
The tensity in the room went up by a long shot, even Dalton looked at me as though he hadn’t recognized me. After the initial shock wore off on Balthazar a sly grin crept it’s way onto his face.
“That is the sexiest thing I’ve heard you say since we arrived.”
I couldn’t tell if Balthazar was flirting or just thoroughly amused but either way he can’t say that he was not warned. With that Balthazar left to meet up with someone who would bring him to the States where he said he was sure to find Ambrose with ease. Manu went back into his room to sleep until daylight so we could leave promptly to find Quanta.
Dalton looked over at me in wonder. “ You wouldn’t kill Balthazar if Ambrose was dead, would you?”
I shot him a look as if to ask if he was being serious. “One way to find out.” I muttered.
Dalton grabbed a cigarette and went outside to smoke, I decided that I needed to hear from Ambrose, even if it was just to make sure he was alive. I layed down on the bed and pulled out the stone he’d given me and clamped it in my hand while closing my eyes to focus.
“I’d wondered when you’d use this.” Ambrose’s tone was playful and had seemed as though he were in good health.
“I’m sorry Ambrose.” I had wanted to say more than sorry but I settled for what would come out.
“Don’t apologize, you’re safe. That’s all that matters to me.” I imagined the look Ambrose would give me while saying that, with his half-grin trying to reassure me that the ends justify the means.
“Well, you matter to me. Balthazar is coming to get you.Where are you?” I pictured Ambrose sitting in a cell, likely covered in blood and filth with his hair all dishelved and tinted a sandy colour due to the dirt.
“I’m sort of caged at the moment. I’m at Hollow Pillars.” Ambrose’s tone was still light but he and I both knew what that meant.
Hollow Pillars was like a holding cell for dangerous offenders. They were usually held there until their judgement day which was usually soon after their captivity. They always received a just trial however, with how the Alliance was now - who knew how long it would be until Ambrose was sentenced. The horror filled my face thinking about the penalty for treason against the Alliance. Beheading. I felt my fangs extended almost on thought.
“I swear to you, Balthazar will have you free and on you’re way here within a day’s time.” I growled under my voice fighting back the stinging feeling inside.
“I know love. You’re doing your best, but just know if things don’t go the way their planned that I love you.”
There was so much fierceness but tenderness in the way he spoke. Ambrose was truly one of a kind, he was never truly afraid of anything despite what he thought.
I forced my eyes shut ,squeezing them with enough force to cause more pain. “Save your I love you for in person.”
“Alright then, my love. See you soon.” Ambrose’s voice began to fade out of my head and I found myself standing up with both fists clenched.
I moved towards a mirror and found the most unusual thing. There were tears streaming down my cheeks. I hadn’t remembered the last time that I cried but this was hauntingly beautiful the way the crimson coloured tears rolled down so effortlessly. To see someone with no soul cry was to see a miracle of some sort. Sure to a degree my soul was still fighting to hang in there but I’ve lasted this long. I needed to get my soul back if it’s the last thing I do.
I had no doubt that Balthazar would bring Ambrose back to me and by the time Dalton walked in and saw me looking at myself he looked at me almost mystified.
“Strange isn’t it. The first time I cried after turning- not that I would cry because men don’t cry.” Dalton gave a little quirky smile.
“-But it almost feels like how it did to breathe as a human. Surely we don’t need to shed tears nearly as often as human do oxygen, but it’s a sense of well being I suppose.”
By now Dalton had been rambling which I truly had missed. A few hours had gone by and Manu woke up ready to take us to our destination, which should be an interesting experience.